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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. march — the month
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bound — tied together
  15. charge — a price
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bound — obliged
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com